To repeal the “driver responsibility fees” that are assessed for various traffic violations in addition to the fine for the violation itself. This and related bills would go into effect on Sept. 30, 2018, and would also clear any outstanding liability an individual may have to pay these fees, and allow reinstatement of drivers licenses suspended for non-payment with no charge. These very expensive fees were originally adopted in 2003 to increase state revenue collections.

To increase the $4,000 personal exemption that is currently allowed under the Michigan state income tax. The bill would immediately increase it to $4,050, and then gradually to $4,900 by 2021, with inflation adjustments thereafter. Taxpayers can claim a personal exemption for themselves, their spouse and each dependent, and these are subtracted from the amount of income that is subject to income tax.

To increase taxes imposed to pay for local 9-1-1 emergency phone service for cell phones. A monthly state user fee (tax) would go up from 19 cents to 25 cents per device, and the tax on pre-paid service from 1.92 percent to 5 percent.

To require plaintiffs who seek damages for alleged asbestos-related conditions to disclose whether they have already filed suits against trusts or claims pools created in previous asbestos bankruptcy cases. Reportedly some plaintiff attorneys have filed multiple suits seeking duplicate damages. The bill would also authorize reopening and readjusting cases and damage awards in such cases.

To establish that an individual is entitled to claim the same child care tax credit against Michigan income tax as the credit authorized by the 2017 federal tax reform law. This is a means-tested credit that is based on a percentage of child care expenses that are related to the taxpayer having a job (up to $6,000, or $3,000 if there is just one dependent). The credit would not be "refundable" (meaning the taxpayer would not get a check from the state for the amount the credit exceeded their income tax liability).

To create a state environmental rules review committee comprised of certain officials and representatives of specified interests, with the duty to oversee and make judgments on whether plans by the Department of Environmental Quality to impose new rules meet certain specified criteria including reasonableness, and to propose revisions if they do not. The committee would be empowered to stop the DEQ from imposing a rule that did not meet the criteria. Senate Bill 653 was also adopted, which creates a similar authoritative oversight process for DEQ permit decisions.

To authorize a $100 refundable tax exemption against the state income tax for individuals aged 62 and above. “Refundable” means the state will send the individual a check for the amount that the credit exceeds his or her tax liability.

To increase the $4,000 personal exemption that is currently allowed under the Michigan state income tax. The bill would immediately increase it to $4,300 and then gradually to $4,800 in 2021. Taxpayers can claim a personal exemption for themselves, their spouse and each dependent, and these are subtracted from the amount of income that is subject to income tax. The Senate has passed a version that increases the exemption to $4,700 by 2020.

To increase the $4,000 personal exemption that is currently allowed under the Michigan state income tax. The bill would immediately increase it to $4,500, and then gradually to $4,700 by 2020, which with inflation adjustments is projected to be worth around $5,000 by then. Taxpayers can claim a personal exemption for themselves, their spouse and each dependent, and these are subtracted from the amount of income that is subject to income tax.

To authorize 50 year "bottomland" leases for owners of single-family homes on Great Lakes shorelines who want to create a private, non-commercial, recreational harbor formed by a breakwater. Owners would have to pay 1 percent of their home's state equalized property value in an up-front lump sum payment every 25 years. The money would go into a segregated account that pays for parts of the Department of Environmental Quality's operations.

To require revenue extracted by future regional enhancement property taxes that are levied by Intermediate School Districts and distributed to conventional public school districts to also be shared with public charter schools within the ISD's territory.

To expand the definition of “deed restriction” in a 2017 law that prohibits a school district or local government from refusing to sell property to a competing charter or private school. The bill would close a loophole that the Detroit school district has used in refusing to sell a shuttered primary school to a charter.

To prohibit the big consumer credit rating agencies from charging an individual who requests a security freeze following a security breach in one of these agency’s databases, such as the Equifax breach that reportedly put 140 million individuals at risk of identity theft.

To expand the definition of “deed restriction” in a 2017 law that prohibits a school district or local government from refusing to sell property to a charter or private school, or from taking other actions designed to keep these potential conventional public school competitors from using property for a lawful educational purpose. The bill would close loopholes that cities and school districts have used to discriminate against charter schools.

To grant certain developers approved by state or local officials credits against the business income tax that are worth up to 25 percent of the amount spent to restore a structure that meets various criteria for being “historic.” Up to 90 percent of credits valued up to $250,000 would be "refundable," making them virtual cash subsidies.

To authorize state subsidies for grocery stores in urban areas. This would come from money earmarked to an existing business subsidy program, and is estimated to be around $1 million to $2 million annually. The money could not be given to the owner of a grocery store located within a mile of an existing store.

To appropriate $52.8 million for various state departments and functions in the current fiscal year, including $23.2 million for remediation activities related to recently reported instances of groundwater contamination by a chemical called perfluoroalkyl. The bill also authorizes $74.6 million in new long term debt for state university and college construction projects and $57 million for a State Police construction project.

To require a doctor to have a “bona fide prescriber-patient relationship” before prescribing opioid and other painkillers that are subject to abuse, and authorize sanctions on a doctor who fails to first check the patient’s prescription record on a state database that collects this information before prescribing.

To repeal the Jan. 1, 2018 sunset on a 2014 law that reduced from six to three the number of unpaid parking tickets a person can have before the Secretary of State will not renew a drivers license until the tickets are paid along with a $45 "clearance" fee. The bill would leave the more stringent regime in place permanently.

To create an enhanced education savings accounts program that would allow individuals to make tax-deductible contributions to an account used to pay for public school extracurricular activities, vocational programs or other services that schools are not required to provide. Note that while the Senate passed this and some related bills, it did not pass a bill authorizing the tax deductions (Senate Bill 549), without which this and the other bills in the package appear to be moot.

To increase phone service levies and cell phone taxes imposed to pay for local 9-1-1 emergency phone service. The tax on cell phone contracts would rise from 1.92 percent to 4.19 percent, with a monthly user fee (tax) rising from 19 cents to 25 cents.

To authorize an exemption from the “no-carry zone” restrictions in the law authorizing shall-issue concealed pistol licenses, if a licensee gets extra training. No-carry zones include schools, day care facilities, sports stadiums or arenas, bars, bar/restaurants, places of worship, college and university dorms and classrooms, hospitals, casinos, large entertainment facilities and courts. Under the bill private property owners, colleges and universities could still ban guns, schools could prohibit teachers and staff from carrying guns, and licensees could not openly carry a gun in a no-carry zone.

To revise a provision of the state’s criminal sentencing guidelines that includes the number of actual or potential victims among the factors on which sentences for violent crimes are assessed. The bill would define an embryo or fetus as a "person" and a victim for purposes of this provision.

To allow vehicle owners to purchase auto insurance policies with personal injury protection (PIP) coverage below the currently mandated unlimited coverage; cap the amount that hospitals, doctors and long-term care providers could charge to treat people injured in crashes; and more. Among other things the bill would require insurance companies to lower rates if these provisions lowered the cost of treating crash victims, which reportedly are much higher in Michigan than any other state.

To repeal the “driver responsibility fees” that are assessed for various violations, effective Sept. 30, 2018. The bill would also clear any outstanding liability an individual may have to pay these fees. These very expensive fees were originally adopted in 2003 to increase state revenue collections. The Senate has passed a repeal that only clears liabilities older than six years.

To make more rigorous the definition of “aggrieved candidate” in the law that authorizes recounts of elections where the vote margin isn't close. The bill reflects court rulings after the 2016 Green Party presidential candidate (reportedly with the assistance of Democratic Party operatives) orchestrated a statewide recount, even though this candidate received less than 2 percent of the Michigan vote.

To adopt the U.S. Coast Guard standards for ballast water discharges from oceangoing vessels. Michigan adopted its own standards in 2006, which was before the Coast Guard finalized theirs in 2012. The standards are intended to combat the threat of invasive species.

To prohibit officials from requiring the parents of a homeschooled student who is enrolled in a public school part time and taking some public school classes (including "virtual" or online classes) to file an “educational development plan” with a public school district. These plans often but not necessarily apply to public school students who are falling behind.

To repeal the driver responsibility fees (“bad driver tax”) that are assessed for various traffic violations, effective Sept. 30, 2018. Individuals who lost their driver's license for nonpayment of these fees could get it back (on payment of a $125 fee). Fees that have been owed for more than six years would be forgiven, but not more recent ones. These very expensive fees were originally adopted in 2003 to increase state revenues.Note: House Bill 5040 would end the fees and give amnesty for all amounts owed, not just amounts in arrears for six years. The Snyder administration indicated the Governor would veto this due to the state revenue loss, and this bill's partial amnesty is seen as a negotiating position on that. More than 300,000 people owe more than $600 million for these fees, much of which is uncollectible, and thousands have lost their driver's license for nonpayment.

To require revenue extracted by future regional enhancement property taxes that are levied by Intermediate School Districts and distributed to conventional public school districts to also be shared with public charter schools within the ISD district.

To include state colleges and universities in the kind of debt scheme authorized by a 2016 law for school districts, which lets them contract with vendors for energy efficiency projects, and pay for these with money the projects are supposed to save (or from regular tax revenue if savings don’t appear).

To expand from 10 to 15 the number of “promise zone” tax increment financing authorities (TIFA) located in low income and “low educational attainment” areas. These entities were authorized by a 2008 law to “capture" a portion of the state school property tax collected in the area, and use the money to partially subsidize college tuition for local students.

SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit www.MichiganVotes.org.

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